Walla Walla Wine Cellar

You know it’s a good night when you get a hug from the winemaker (Tom Glase) after his hip surgery and are then told that you can buy the $110 bottle of wine at an 80% discount. Perhaps the cute guy behind the bar was pulling my leg about the prices, but I told him I would have paid just about any price for that delicious Balboa Candy Mountain 2006 Sangiovese. Deeee-licious. Dangerously delicious. Balanced, pomegranate, tobacco, ripe plum.

So I bought the rest of the bottles they had in stock. Don’t get your hopes up about finding any in the tasting room this weekend, because I bought them out. Yes, I did. Sorry folks, but it had to be done. It was too good to pass up. Especially at an 80% discount [smile]. Okay, really, at $22 a bottle it’s a steal. If you find some on a shelf somewhere, buy it! Although I do believe it was a wine club only selection.

From the fabulous new Balboa tasting room at 7 South 2nd Ave, where Amy Glase’s artwork is currently displayed on the walls as well as on the wine labels, I went to Flying Trout located at 37 South Palouse Street. There I tried four outstanding wines. The Deep River Red ($28), NV Malbec ($35), 2006 Phinny Hill Malbec ($35), and one more special red wine that you’ll have to stop by the tasting room to find out about. It was a tough choice, but I ended up leaving with several bottles.

From there we ventured to 26 Brix for some dinner and cocktails. Industry folks packed the bar, all well into a busy weekend. And there are plenty of tourists about, wine lovers in their element.

Tomorrow you’ll find me out and about, dodging the biggest crowds, but enjoying the buzz that is holiday barrel tasting.

Walla Walla Wine Cellar will be open from 12 - 4pm both Saturday and Sunday for those of you who would like to see the inventory in our shipping center. Rootielicious jewelry will also be on display. So please enjoy the weekend, drive safely, don’t forget to drink plenty of water and eat good food. And most importantly, have a good time.

Happy barrel tasting!

Crush is always an extremely busy time for winemakers (and crew). So it was a treat when Ashley Trout of Flying Trout Wines agreed to take a break from the long days and sit down to answer a few questions for us.

Amy Rootvik: For how long have you been interested in winemaking?
Ashley Trout: For one week before I started. I saw an email about working at a winery when I was 18 and started the next week. That was September of 1999.

AR: How did you get involved in the Argentina project? We have to get used to you being out of town several months per year.
AT: I broke a bunch of bones during crush one year and missed it and got better just as crush was ending. I didn’t want to wait 9 months for the next crush so I started looking into the southern hemisphere. I was raised in Spanish so that wasn’t a problem and someone said to come on down, so I did.
I got to Argentina and the winemaker who said I had a position didn’t really believe that I would show up, so suddenly I was without work and in Argentina for three months. I started knocking on doors essentially, until I got an internship with Alta Vista, one of Michel Rolland’s wineries down there. Following years I worked with Tamari, Tapiz (known as Zolo in the US) and Alta Vista.

AR: I know you’re a fabulous cook. I’ve heard the rave reviews. So what’s your favorite food and wine pairing?
AT: The unlikely. Surprises are my favorite. I work a lot with malbec and have found that the more French the malbec gets, the better it goes with butternut squash, but most malbecs go well with many types of squash.

AR. You do all your own bottling by hand here at Flying Trout, don’t you? Do you have any comments on that process?
AT: You have to have a sense of humor to make wine without expensive, modern technology. My bottle filler most closely resembles a cow udder or a grenade depending on how well it decides to work that day. I think over all, the process is one that creates very little bottle shock due to the lack of rough pumping, that’s what I like most about it.

AR: What do you believe sets you and Flying Trout Wines apart from others in the industry? Is there anything you are particularly proud of?
AT: I am really working on malbec. My goal is to be able to continually work with malbec from Argentina and all of the AVAs in Washington State.

AR: What is the best advice you have ever received?
AT: To paraphrase: simplify, minimize and focus. I tend to be less focused than I would like, especially getting a small business going, but when it comes to wine, I have been trying my best to minimize the chaos and really think about each detail—to do less, but better.

AR: What can you tell us about your upcoming releases?
AT: I have two Horse Heaven Hill malbecs that are fun to compare—one from a windier site and one from a stiller site. I’ve got an old vines malbec rosé (21 year old vines) coming out this summer, with a Novermber 15th preview event. That malbec comes from a part of the state that creates real fruity wines. I’ve also got a 2005 cabernet sauvignon/carmenere being released (27 cases) that has some great pepper and spice.

AR: And finally, Sonja [my sister] wants to know if you can make a wine that tastes just like ice cream… and has no alcohol in it… and is frozen. You can get back to us on that one.
AT: No. [smile]

***
Having seen what Ashley is capable of, I wouldn’t be shocked if she showed up someday with a bowl of homemade ice cream for Sonja. Ashley is a talent to watch. To top it all off, she is loads of fun and completely down to earth. Don’t be fooled by her humble nature. This girl is a powerhouse who is making things happen and gaining new fans everywhere she goes.
We’re loving her current malbec and anxiously awaiting her next release.

I’ve always been a fan of cartoon superheroes. In fact, I was thrilled when the US Postal Service released their super heroes stamp series. I scooped some up and used them for everything: letters to friends, tax returns, graduate school dissertation submission packet. The adult world often takes itself too seriously, and I wanted to do my small part to help lighten the mood. Not that the image of a charging Batman isn’t intimidating. But it’s illustrated, somehow separating the action at least one degree from the frantic pace of daily life.

Unlike most superheroes, Batman has no superpowers. He relies on his intellect, his scientific knowledge , physical abilities and detective skills. Of course, he’s also know to be quite intimidating. And then there’s all that high-tech equipment.

When I entered the tank room at Tertulia Cellars yesterday, I noticed several things. First, it was incredibly clean. Good sign. Second, there were colorful images hanging from each of the tanks. I didn’t think too much of it as Ryan Raber, the winemaker, talked to us about the current projects, upcoming bottling, and showed us some of what had just been harvested, waiting for destemming. (We’re in full crush mode here.)

But as I got closer to the first tank, I realized that green image was… the Green Lantern?! And… wait… on the second tank was none other than Mr. Incredible. Not a DC classic, but a favorite nonetheless. So there sits a giant tank of Cabernet Sauvignon that the crew knows as Tank No. 4, aka

Mr. Incredible.

As Ryan explained it, the superheroes serve as a cross-check for the crew. Each tank is both numbered and given a superhero identity. When both are used there can be little confusion as to which tank is being discussed. The more clarity involved in the winemaking process, the better the final product, right? We hope so.

We talked in the barrel room about how important it is to Ryan to work with the wine all along the way to make sure that it is well structured, that the tannins are present but matched equally by all other parts of the wine. Balance. Softness, rather than a beat-you-over-the-head-with-my-wine product.

Before we left the tank room, I grabbed this shot of malbec and grenache side by side. Great comparison shot. Look at the striking difference in color.

Back in the tasting room, we were impressed by the 2006 Les Collines Vineyard Syrah. It beautifully exemplifies the terroir of this top class vineyard. Wonderful fruit makes wonderful wine. Earthy, dirty, peppery Syrah that screams Walla Walla Valley! I would love to try the 2006 and 2005 Les Collines Syrahs side by side. Hey wait. I can.

Last years Red Table Wine was outstanding, and we sold through it quickly. This year, Tertulia has released a different red blend. It is the 2006 Sobra (62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 15% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot).

Winery tasting notes read as follows:

Mineral notes of wet stone first hit the nose followed by caramel and coffee grounds. Next berry aromas of black current and dark cherries transform into eucalyptus. On the palate firm tannins evolve into a long smooth finish.

Unique. That’s what I had to say. I was intrigued and had to bring a few bottles home. The minerals are obvious. And the combination of fruit and herb entices. Lovely finish that keeps going and going and going. Surprising to say the least.

Upon reflection, I think Tertulia might be a big of a superhero themselves. But they, like Batman, rely on ability and intelligence rather than superpowers. Always fun, always surprising, Tertulia is a winery to watch.

Note: If you coordinate your visit just right, you’ll meet the Walla Walla Wine Princess!